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“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Why it’s great to be Catholic

Veronica Brandt · July 25, 2015

100reasons OMETIMES IT IS EASY TO GET bogged down in the frustrations of fostering sacred music in a world which seems at odds to all we hope to achieve. A book like this is a tonic to help pick you up and show you the bigger picture.

I saw this book in a Catholic bookshop. First the title jumped out at me, then the author – Robert Haddad is a great teacher who left a legal career to become a high school teacher. He also ran apologetics courses and developed a great reference book called Defend the Faith which is extremely handy when proselytizers come knocking on your door.

Why 1001 reasons? Read this from the back cover:

Years ago I saw a news report about the growth of Pentecostalism in Latin America. One fiery pastor had a pamphlet at the back of his church entitled, “Twenty-five reasons why you are no longer Catholic.” I became upset when I saw this and wanted to produce my own response. Naturally, I wanted this response to be both comprehensive and overwhelming—hence the thought of collecting and publishing 1001 reasons why it’s great to be Catholic! More than most, non-Catholics should find this book of great interest.

References to the musical treasures of the Catholic Church are scattered here and there. The section on Beauty is mostly full of glorious cathedrals, but also mentions Gregorian chant. The book itself is just text, no pictures, but plenty of interesting leads for next time you are looking for something to search for on the internet.

The section on Prayer pays homage to some outstanding hymns like the Te Deum, Stabat Mater and the Veni Creator. The Akathist Hymn is a Byzantine hymn I hadn’t heard of before.

The thing that stands out is the enormous breadth of the Church Universal. Through all times, all places, all languages this Mystical Body of Christ is alive and drawing men to God. What other religious tradition can even come close?

The book is available from Dynamic Catholic who will send you a copy for the price of the postage within the United States. For Australians, the Mustard Seed Bookshop had copies in store.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Veronica Brandt

Veronica Brandt holds a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering. She lives near Sydney, Australia, with her husband and six children.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

Alabama Assessment!

We received this evaluation of Symposium 2022 from an Alabama participant:

“Oh, how the Symposium echoed the words of Cardinal Merry Del Val: …choosing only what is most conformed to Thy glory, which is my final aim. In one short and fast paced week, the faculty and attendees showed me the hand of God and our Lady working in our lives. The wide range of education—from Gregorian Chant, jazz modes in organ improvisation, to ‘staying sane’ while leading a choir—were certainly first-class knowledge from the best teachers of the art. However, the most powerful lesson was learning how to pray as a choir. The sacrifice of putting songs together, taking time to learn the sacred text, meditating on the church teaching through the chants, and gaining the virtues required to persevere in these duties were not only qualities of a choir but of a saint. The sanctification of the lives of the attendees was a beautiful outcome of this event … and that in itself is worth more than a beautifully-sung Solesmes style chant!”

—Jeff Ostrowski
PDF Download • Trinity Sunday (22 pages)

Feel free to download this Organ Accompaniment Booklet for Trinity Sunday (Second Vespers). Notice how the modes progress by number. Psalm 1 is mode 1; Psalm 2 is mode 2; Psalm 3 is mode 3; Psalm 4 is mode 4; Psalm 5 is mode 5. I am told by an expert that other feasts (such as Corpus Christi) are likewise organized by mode, and it’s called a “numerical office.”

—Jeff Ostrowski
10 June 2022 • “Official” rhythm of plainsong

I continue to search for the most beautiful way to present the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores. (Technically, the “pure” rhythm of the official edition is what everyone is supposed to use.) You can download my latest attempt, which is the Introit for this coming Sunday: Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. Because this is not an ancient feast, the Introit had to be adapted (perhaps around 750AD). Prior Johner says the adaptation is “not an entirely happy one.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“I vividly remember going to church with him in Bournemouth. He was a devout Roman Catholic and it was soon after the Church had changed the liturgy (from Latin to English). My grandfather obviously didn’t agree with this and made all the responses very loudly in Latin while the rest of the congregation answered in English. I found the whole experience quite excruciating, but my grandfather was oblivious. He simply had to do what he believed to be right.”

— Simon Tolkien (2003)

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